Laitumkhrah (Khasi: lait meaning "free" and umkhrah which is the name of a river Umkhrah) is a census town in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. The name of the place basically means a place where the river "Umkhrah" originates from making its name aptly suited. From Laitumkhrah there runs three roads connecting Happy Valley, Umpling & New Colony. Accommodation is bit costly but staying here itself is an experience. Almost all the old architectural buildings here has given birth to new houses with all the luxuries embedded. This place is relatively cold compared to other places of Shillong. Laitumkhrah has a number of churches, schools and colleges. It is situated in the heart of Shillong. It has a market providing fresh vegetables, pork, beef, chicken and other stuffs. Nazerth Hospital, which is one of the oldest hospitals in Shillong, is located here, providing affordable and quality treatment. There is a cemetery called "Holy Ground" that can deliver peace to your mind if you visit it. Laitumkhrah also houses the famous Ramakrishna Mission Shillong. The age old sweet shop "Kalpatru", which is located near to Police Point, offers a wide variety of sweets and is running from the last third generation. It is also a center of education with numerous well known educational institutions like Loreto Convent, St. Edmund's College, St. Anthony's College, St. Mary's College, Don Bosco Technical School, Shillong and the National Institute of Technology Meghalaya that offers courses like electricals, carpentry and printing and others, located within the boundary of Laitumkhrah. The North East India's Archdiocese of the Catholic Church is also located in Laitumkhrah. Its one of the cleanest place in Shillong.[citation needed]